The present invention relates to an automatically operating casting ladle apparatus for the delivery of a measured quantity of molten metal to die-casting machines, casting molds, etc., in which, on a swivel arm mounted on a fixed frame or similar element, there is provided, a pivotally mounted supporting arm carrying the casting ladle and kept in a constantly vertical position by an auxiliary means during the swiveling movements of the swivel arm, and a control linkage for tilting the ladle.
Known apparatuses of the type in question comprise a frame, across the top of which there is positioned a horizontal traverse bar, on which lies a sliding carriage which carries a structure which may be moved up and down and bears the casting ladle at its lower end.
In a further embodiment of a previously known apparatus, an arm rotatable through about 180.degree. is mounted on a stand, and at its free end is pivotally mounted the vertically hanging supporting arm for the casting ladle, the supporting arm being held in a vertical position when the swivel arm is moved.
In these previously known apparatuses, sprocket chains ride over chain wheels are used, either to move the sliding carriage along the traverse bar or to hold the supporting arm of the ladle in a constantly vertical position while the swivel arm is moved. These drive chains or control chains have the essential disadvantage that, in particular due to their construction and as a result of being heated, they are subject to changes of length which are undesirable and uncontrollable, and thus also cannot be compensated for, so that on the one hand, the positioning of the casting ladle when pouring the molten metal into the pouring funnel of a machine or casting mold is no longer exact, and on the other hand the supporting arm of the casting ladle does not always take up exactly the same position on filling, which is the only guarantee that the amount of molten metal scooped up by the ladle is always the same. The heating of the chains, which are relatively easily subject to changes of length, results from their proximity to the crucible containing the molten metal, from which a considerable amount of heat is radiated. A further disadvantage of these machines is that numerous drive and control aggregates are arranged or mounted in such a way that every time the ladle scoops up a measured quantity of molten metal, they are moved over the crucible or into its vicinity, where they are exposed to intensive, direct heat radiation.